1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device to aid in correctly positioning trash dumpsters within enclosures for the dumpsters, and to provide refuse truck drivers with a visual indication of the distance a dumpster is spaced from a wall of the enclosure. The present invention may also find use in aiding the positioning of vehicles in garages.
2. Description of Related Art
Various devices have been proposed in the art for use in assisting the driver of a vehicle in stopping his or her vehicle short of a back wall in a garage, with the object being that damage to the vehicle and to the wall will be avoided. Examples of such devices may be found in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,981,188; 4,433,636; 5,231,392; 4,341,488; and 5,227,785.
In commercial parking garages, there is no substantial need to precisely position the vehicles at a specific distance away from the wall, as the parking spaces are fully open at the entrance end of each space. In residential garages, except in very rare instances, there is no need to ensure that a vehicle is spaced at a specific distance from the wall at the closed end of the garage. This is the case because, even though the vehicle must be pulled into the garage a sufficient distance to permit the garage door to be closed behind the vehicle, these garages are constructed in sufficient length to comfortably accommodate most makes and models of vehicles. The principal concern is avoiding inadvertent collisions of the vehicle with the wall of the enclosure. As a result, while the devices in the above-noted patents provide a visual (or audible) indicator that the vehicle is approaching a wall of an enclosure such as a garage, none of the devices provides the vehicle operator with a distance gauge for determining precisely how close the front of the vehicle is to the wall.
None of the above-noted patents are concerned with positioning trash dumpsters in the enclosures that are commonly provided to house the dumpsters in between the scheduled trash pickups. Dumpster enclosures are widely used for a number of reasons, including for aesthetic purposes when the dumpster would otherwise be in view at a business establishment, for security purposes (to deter vandalism or unauthorized use), and/or as a physical barrier to various pests that attempt to forage in the contents of the dumpster.
The space for storing a dumpster is, for economic reasons, nearly always quite limited, as the space, if completely outdoors, could be used for additional parking spaces, and if indoors (e.g., in an interior shipping or loading dock area), could be used in some sort of income-generating manner. The enclosures for the dumpsters are thus constructed to conform fairly closely to the peripheral dimensions of the dumpster, often allowing for one foot or less space between the side walls of the dumpster and the side walls of the enclosure, and between the rear extent of the dumpster and the rear wall of the enclosure.
The dumpster enclosures are generally of very sturdy construction, and brick or cinderblock masonry is a common material of construction. Sturdy barriers made of lumber materials are also relatively common. The fixed portion of the enclosure is generally constructed to enclose the back and the two sides of the dumpster, and a double gate is most commonly found at the front side of the enclosure. The dumpster is emptied, as is well known in the art, by a large refuse truck outfitted with hydraulically powered arms used to engage, lift, and tip the dumpster into an opening on the top of the refuse-containing compartment on the back of the truck. The arms normally extend from the front end of the cab at the front of the truck, so that, once engaged, the dumpster is carried in right in front of the driver.
As part of the dumpster emptying process, once the dumpster is engaged and lifted slightly from the ground, the truck will back up to remove the dumpster from the enclosure before fully lifting and then overturning or tipping the dumpster. The dumpster is then uprighted, lowered, and driven back into the enclosure.
The enclosure walls, even though sturdily constructed, are frequently damaged, and sometimes severely, in the process of emptying the dumpster and returning it back to the enclosure. The dumpster itself is of very sturdy construction, generally being fabricated of relatively thick steel plate welded into a container configuration, and the refuse trucks equipped with the dumpster-emptying equipment are large, heavy, and have comparably large power plants, in the form of diesel engines. That combination of features gives the truck advancing a now-empty dumpster a great deal of momentum as the dumpster is being returned to the enclosure.
The majority of the damage to dumpster enclosures is to the back wall of the enclosure, because, although somewhat difficult, the truck driver can use his own vantage point and rely on his perceptions to steer the truck so as to avoid contact between the dumpster and the side walls of the enclosure. However, the distance between the back wall of the enclosure and the dumpster being returned to the enclosure is very difficult for the truck driver to judge, as the dumpster extends out a considerable distance from the front of the truck, and this effectively eliminates the ability of the truck driver to rely on his perception of distance. In some instances, the height at which the dumpster must be carried by the truck will completely obscure the back wall of the enclosure from the view of the truck driver, reducing the attempt to properly position the dumpster (in a front-to-back sense) to a guessing game.
While damage to the rear wall of the enclosure might be spared, it is impractical from a worker productivity standpoint to have the truck drivers incrementally advance the dumpster, lower and release it, and then exit the truck to see if the dumpster is sufficiently within the enclosure such that the front gate portion of the enclosure can be closed without interference from the dumpster. Thus, there is a need in the art for a device that will allow a truck driver to determine, as the dumpster is being advanced into the enclosure, the distance between the dumpster and the rear wall of the enclosure, once the two begin coming close to one another.
It is nonetheless important, from an economic standpoint, to prevent damage to the walls of a dumpster enclosure. Despite the sturdy construction, the enclosures can be severely damaged through impact with the dumpster. Further, because such a sturdy construction is required, repairing the damage is very costly, as expensive masonry work is often required, and the repair materials are expensive as well.
In general, the prior art position indicators proposed for use in garages and for personal vehicles provide only a signal, either audible or visual or both, upon contact of the vehicle with a pole or other contact device. Because of the considerable amount of momentum involved with the advancing truck/dumpster combination, and the need to fairly precisely position the dumpster relative to the rear wall, such devices, if somehow adapted to be positioned in a dumpster enclosure, would still lack the ability to inform the truck driver of the distance between the dumpster and the rear wall of the enclosure as the dumpster is being advanced into the enclosure.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a device that will function as a position indicator and distance gauge for use especially in dumpster enclosures to aid truck drivers in properly positioning dumpsters within the enclosures.
It is a further important object of the present invention to provide a device that will provide a truck driver with ample advance warning of the decreasing distance between an enclosure wall and a dumpster being positioned in the enclosure, so that the momentum of the truck can be decreased and stopped prior to any collision between the dumpster and the enclosure wall.
It is an additional important object of the present invention to provide a position indicating and distance gauging device that is readily adaptable for effective use with enclosures of different sizes and constructions.
It is a further important object of the present invention to provide a position indicating and distance gauging device that is within the clear line of view of the vehicle driver, thereby enabling the driver to accurately gauge a spacing distance from an enclosure wall or other barrier, without needing to leave the vehicle.